The 2010 recipient of Peninsula Hospital Center’s Outstanding Trustee and Benefactor Award is Marvin E. Eisenstadt, chairman of the Board of Cumberland Packing Corporation, the manufacturer and distributor of Sweet’N Low, Sugar in the Raw, Stevia in the Raw, Butter Buds, Nu Salt and other condiments, grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. He attended the University of Vermont partly because of his love for nature and his eagerness to spend some time outside of New York City. From 1954 to 1956, Marvin served his country as a member of the United States Army Medical Corp. where he received honors for his outstanding scholarship.

Marvin Eisenstadt
After his discharge, he joined the family business, Cumberland Packing Corp. In 1963, Marvin invented and received the patent for the first Pneumatic Packaging Machine.

His continuing desire for education took him to La Salle University, American Law Procedure where he received LLB degrees in 1973. In 1991, he formulated and received a patent for the present ingredients for Sweet‘N Low sugar substitute. His business successes are a testament to his business acumen, his dedication and his fine reputation.

Although his sons, Steven and Jeff, are now responsible for the day-to-day operations at Cumberland Packing, Marvin is far from retired and spends many days at 2 Cumberland Street across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Throughout the years, Marvin Eisenstadt has received many accolades for his charitable work including the “Paul Harris Fellow” from the Rotary Organization, United Hospital Fund Distinguished Trustee and in 1999, an honor by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for his outstanding fundraising, just to name a few. The articles written about Marvin Eisenstadt are many and include The New York Times, Forbes, the Vermont Quarterly, Private Industry and other medical and pharmaceutical publications. Currently, he also serves as a Director of the Board of Calorie Control Council. Eisenstadt’s passion for travel has never waned and he remains an avid traveler. His photographs commemorating his travels are comingled with photographs and memorabilia from the various charitable causes he supports.

Jack Domfort, vice president, PHC Volunteer Guild, was recently awarded an outstanding volunteer award at PHC.
Eisenstadt has been a member of Peninsula Hospital Center’s Board of Directors since 1973 and its Senior Vice Chairman since 2007. In addition to his other Board duties, Eisenstadt has served as one of the chairpersons of the Hospital Center’s Anniversary Balls for the past 25 years.

Dr. Familusi
His devotion to Peninsula Hospital Center is unquestionable. The generosity of the Eisenstadt family has enabled the Hospital Center to renovate, modernize and expand the Emergency Department, remodel and expand the Ambulatory Surgery Unit and after his first wife, Barbara, of 48 years, lost her battle with pancreatic cancer, enabled the Hospital Center to provide new inpatient hospice services in the Butterflies by the Sea, Eisenstadt Hospice Care Unit.

Marvin Eisenstadt measures his success based on personal satisfaction, honor, decency, integrity and making a difference. He is, however, first and foremost a family man who is extremely proud of his four children, Jeff, Jill, Debra and Steven; grandsons Jack, Sam, Ben, Max, Jasper and Teddy; granddaughters Charlotte, Jane Starr, Lena, Skylar, India, Colette; his wife, Rosaline, and his most recent addition, a canary named Caruso.

Ask Dr. Abiola Familusi where he lives and without missing a beat, he will smile and tell you, “I sleep on Long Island but live in Far Rockaway. I spend 12 - 15 hours a day working in the Rockaways … so essentially, I live in Rockaway.”

Born in Southwest Nigeria, part of the Yoruba people, Familusi knew at an early age that a career in medicine was what his life’s mission would be.

He attended the University College Hospital in Ibadan and came to the United States to settle in New York in the late 1980s.

He became dual board certified by completing his residency training in internal medicine right here on the peninsula at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital and soon thereafter completing residency training for physical medicine and rehabilitation at Nassau County Medical Center. Dr. Familusi is the CEO of Multiviz Health Services, Inc., a Far Rockaway based 10,000- square-foot facility, with Brooklyn and Hempstead satellite locations, which house primary care and specialty services soon to include a state of the art dialysis center.

Multiviz was founded in 1994 with his partner Dr. Olusegun Ogunfowora, and was soon joined by additional partner, Dr. Polina Khanina. Familusi and the members of his group have been active members of Peninsula Hospital Center’s medical staff for nearly 15 years.

Dr. Familusi prides himself on a seemingly throwback approach to medical care, covered repeatedly by major news media, that includes a desire to know the patient, their journey, their obstacles and strengths while adhering to the company motto of ‘keeping the community healthy – one family member at a time.’ Realizing the prevalence of the underinsured population in the Rockaway peninsula, he founded the office-based affordable care charging “one dollar” a day for the year to care for his patients and their loved ones.

His work has been recognized and honored by several local organizations. Familusi will receive Peninsula Hospital Center’s 2010 Outstanding Physician Award.

His focused and unyielding efforts to maximize patients’ physical potential has led to the rewarding experiences of becoming the Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services for the Queens Long Island Medical Group, the largest private medical group in the state of New York and the Department Chairman of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for North Shore Hospital at Forest Hills and the present honor of being Program Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit (TBI) at Peninsula Hospital Center. Under his energetic direction, the Hospital Center’s TBI Unit is thriving with new and innovative rehabilitation programs beneficial to the center’s patients and enthusiastically supported by the hospital leadership and staff.

Dr. Familusi “sleeps” in Long Island with his wife, Tricia, and their three children – Olivia, Simi and Abiola, Jr.

Peninsula Hospital Center’s 103rd Anniversary Ball will be held on October 30 at the El Caribe Country Club in Brooklyn, New York.

Also honored that evening will be Joyce Silverman, president, PHC Volunteer Guild and Jack Domfort, vice president, PHC Volunteer Guild. Proceeds from the Anniversary Ball will be dedicated to the Butterflies by the Sea, Eisenstadt Hospice Care at Peninsula.

For further information, to purchase tickets or to support the event, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at Peninsula Hospital Center.